Rail-joint connection



Fe. 12 1924. 1,483fl38 (M. N. WEBBER RAIL JOINT CONNECTION Filed Jui 10, 1922 ATTORNEY MILTON n. wnssain, or ronr warns, mamas:

- RAIL-JOINT CONNECTION;

Application filed m 10, 19 2'. Serial no. 573,884.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that. I, MILTON N. 'WEBBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort VVayne,'in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joint Connectiong of which the following is a specification; 1 I

The invention relates to-r'ail-joint connections and its object is to provide a novel means for connecting track "rails at their joints for the purpose of afi'ording a durable and electrically-continuous rail-joint connection which will prevent spreading-of the rails and their wearing oii atthe ends and also prevent electrolysis effects on pipes, etc., in the ground.

The present lnvention is an improvement -on the rail-joint connection described in my previous Patent No. 759,051andis directed particularly to the belt which engages the adjacent ends of two rails.

In the accompanying drawings 1 have il which- 1% Figure 1 is a perspective view'of two end portions of two rails at their joint having the invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 a

lustrated an embodiment of the invention in 2a transverse sectional view at the meeting ends of the two rails .shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a side view of the rails at their joint having the invention applied thereto; Fig. 4- a partly sectional plan view on line 4-4: of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 a perspective view of a por-- tion of a rail adapted for the application of the invention; Fig. 6 an elevational view of one of the fish-plates; Fig. 7 a perspective view of the bolt and Fig, 8 an elevational view of the locking washer. a

The track rails 1 and 2 are of the T-sliape type and having the usual tread 3, the web i and the base flange 5, each end of each rail having a rectangular notch 6' cut therein in such manner that when-the adjacent ends of two rails meet, the notches in said ends will aline. Two similar fish-plates 7 and 8 are adapted to be secured to the rails at their meeting ends and upon oppositesides of the rails. Each plate in its lower portion 9 conforms tothc opposed surface of the flange 5 of the rail upon which it rests, and the upright portion 10 of each fish plate engages the web of the rail at the lower inner edge of the plate and also at its upper edge which is beaded on the inner face of said portion,

} as clearly shown-in Figs. 1 and 4, so that a small space is left between the central por t1on of the fish plate and the web of the rail. Each plate 7 and 8 is apertured at the proper points, as apertures 11, for the reception of the bolts 12 which also pass-through.- apertures in the-webs of the rails, suitable lock nuts on the opposite ends of the bolts (not shown) when, tightened" serving to draw the plates firmly 'against'therails and locking. them in that position; A suitable number of notches13 are formed in the lower edge'of each fish-plate for the reception of the'rail spikes 14 by which the rails are secured to the ties 15, and the fish-plates arealso further anchoredto the rails by said spikes.- T 7 v I A rectangular opening 16 is formed in each fish-plate at approximately the center thereof, so that when two plates are secured to the opposite sides of two meeting rails the opening in each plate will aline with the opening in the opposite plate and aline, also, with the opening in the rails formed by the notches 6. Through these alined openings; is passed the bolt 17 having a rectangular body 18 and head 19 and a threaded cylindrical portion 20. A. washer 21 having a rectangularcentral opening 22 is engaged on the portion and a nut 22 milled on its inner face is engaged on the portion20 and when tightened against the washer draws the bolt firmly into the opening formed by the notches 6, the fit of thebolt and said notches being close. Should the rectangular.

ortion of-the bolt- 17 project through the sh-plate on the side of the rails opposite the head end of the bolt, the projecting end of the same will engage in the rectangular opening in the washer and hence provide fu'll engagement of the washer upon the fish-plate. Inaccuracies in the thickness of the fish-plates and of the rail web are there fore provided for by the washer and the bolt is firmly held in place, and'thepbolt. having a close fit with the notches in the ends of the rails forms an eleetrical'conductor between the ends of the rails.

What I claim is: j

A rail-joint connection comprising two fish-plates secured to opposite sides of two meeting rails, each plate engaging the webs of the railsadjacent the treads and also at the junction point between the. said Webs and the bases ofthe rails, said plate also contacting with thesurface of the bases of the rails, each plate ha'vinga rectangular A mamas opening therein adapted to register with reetanguhir openings in the meeting ends of the rails, u rerlunguhir hull forribly engaged in he regisierml epening's and having a threaded r \'lin(lriu1l purlion at one end for the reception of a nut and n washer having a rectangular opening adapted to receive the ish plate 10 

